JPH08220951A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an image forming device using minimum number of interlock switches necessary in spite of the arrangement of covers which facilitates the removal of a jammed paper, replacement of consumables, etc. CONSTITUTION: The device is equipped with a first cover 23 which covers a paper carrying path 25 and uncovers it by turning in a specific direction, and a second cover 27, in the vicinity of the exit of the carry path 25, which uncovers it by turning in the opposite direction to the direction in which the first cover 23 turns to uncover the path 25. Further, a second cover 27 is provided with an actuation lever 30 for turning on/off the interlock switch 28 which turns on/off a power source in the main body of the device. The first cover 23 is provided with a locking part 11a which, when the first cover 23 and the second cover 27 are closed, regulates the actuation lever 30 so as to turn on the interlock switch 28. When the first cover 23 is opened, the locking part 11a release the regulation of the actuation lever 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention can perform an internal inspection because it is necessary to remove jammed paper and replace consumables in a device including an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a printer, and a copying machine. As described above, the present invention relates to a mechanism for ensuring the safety of this inspection work in a device having a plurality of openable covers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional image forming apparatus, a cover is provided on the apparatus main body in order to remove jammed paper and replace consumables, and the inside of the apparatus main body can be opened as needed to inspect the inside of the apparatus main body. It has become. Since there is a danger of touching the internal high-voltage section during this inspection work, when the cover is opened, the interlock switch is opened / closed in conjunction with this, and the high-voltage section is turned off when the cover is opened. I am trying. At this time, if only one cover is to be opened, one interlock switch is enough, but if there are two or more covers, when any one of the covers is opened, the power supply for the high-voltage section will be changed as described above. It is necessary to be able to cut off the switch, and it is sufficient to have one interlock switch for each cover, but this is costly.

In order to improve this, one interlock switch for two covers is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-151169, both of which are arranged in parallel in the same direction. Of the two covers that open and close,
Only one cover is interlocked with the interlock switch, the other cover is not interlocked, and the other cover is not fully opened unless the one cover is opened.

[0004]

However, according to the conventional apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-151169, it may be desired to open only the other cover depending on the content of the work. However, it is very inconvenient because the one cover that does not need to be opened must be opened. Further, according to this conventional device, since the two covers are opened and closed in parallel in the same direction, the opening portion after being opened is smaller than in the case of the double door opening.

In a recent image forming apparatus, for example, a laser printer, a case for opening the inside of the main body is
Mainly when opening the paper transport path for the purpose of removing jammed paper and when exchanging consumables, it is not possible to take out consumables from the opening part when the paper transport path is opened. It is becoming difficult, and it is necessary to separately provide a cover that opens when exchanging consumables in order to make a larger opening. In other words, two covers are required,
The above problems still remain.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is an image forming apparatus which uses only a minimum number of interlock switches in spite of a cover arrangement which enables easy removal of jammed paper and replacement of consumables. The purpose is to provide.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a first cover for covering a sheet conveyance path and rotating in a predetermined direction to open the sheet, and a first cover in the vicinity of the exit of the conveyance path. A second cover that is provided and rotates and opens in a direction opposite to the opening rotation direction of the first cover, and a second cover that is provided on the second cover and that turns on the power supply inside the image forming apparatus main body. An operating lever that engages an on / off interlock switch and turns it on / off, and a member that restricts the operating lever to turn on the interlock switch when the first and second covers are closed. A stop portion is provided on the first cover, and when the first cover is opened, the locking portion releases the restriction of the operating lever.

When the operating lever is released from the restriction by the locking portion of the first cover, the operating lever does not turn on the interlock switch, so that the operating lever is unbalanced by its own weight around the fulcrum. It is characterized in that it is swingable in such an unbalanced state, and the interlock switch is turned off by the swing displacement.

Further, the operating lever is sandwiched by a wall integrally provided with the second cover so as not to be operated by a finger.

Further, an interlock switch is integrally provided on the electrical equipment board, and the operating lever is provided on the second side near the electrical equipment section.
It is provided on the cover of.

The second cover holding the operating lever can be opened by opening the first cover, and the second cover on the side holding the operating lever when the first cover is closed first. The second cover is characterized in that it cannot be closed.

[0012]

In the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure, the first cover for covering the sheet conveying path and the second cover for covering the other portions are opened in a double door shape to form one wide area. Since the opening can be formed and the interlock switch for turning on / off the high voltage in the device is interlocked with only one of the covers, the number can be minimized.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the overall structure of a laser printer in one embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a main body case and 2 is a substantially central portion of the main body case 1. The photoconductor 3 is a charger, 4 is a developing device, 5 is a transfer device, 6 is a cleaning device, 7 is a recording paper, 8 is a paper feed cassette, 9 is a paper feed roller, 10 is a registration roller, and 11 is a fixing device. A device, 12 is a discharge roller, and 13 is a stacker unit. 14 is a metal case, 15 is an electrical component, 16 is a power source, 17 is an electrical substrate, 20 is an optical device including a reflection mirror 18, an optical system 19 and the like, 21 is a paper support member, and a horizontal portion 21a and a vertical portion 2
It is formed into a substantially L-shape with 1b. Further, 22 is an insertion slot, 23 is a first cover, 24 is a fulcrum of the first cover 23, 25 is a conveying path for the recording paper 7, 26 is the stacker 13
A support shaft formed on a part of the second cover 27 is a second cover that is opened and closed with the support shaft 26 as a fulcrum and serves as a paper discharge cover. Reference numeral 28 is an interlock switch for turning on / off the power supply inside the apparatus main body. This second cover 27 is partially omitted in the drawing.
It is held by a pair of walls 27a that are integrally provided on the body so that it cannot be touched by fingers during inspection or the like. 28a
Is a lever of the interlock switch 28, and 30 is an actuating lever, which engages with the lever 28a of the interlock switch 28, and can swing about a fulcrum 29 as an axis.

The outline of the operation of the printer is as follows. First, an image is written on the photoconductor 2 by the optical device 20, and the written image is recorded on the recording paper 7 sent from the paper feed cassette 8 by the paper feed roller 9. Transfer is performed by the transfer device 5. An image is fixed on the recording paper 7 after the transfer by the fixing device 11, and the recording paper 7 is sent to the stacker unit 13 by the paper discharge roller 12 to complete printing.

Next, the safety mechanism which is the subject of the present invention will be described. As described above, in the laser printer, the main case of opening the inside of the main body is mainly to open the paper conveyance path for the purpose of removing jammed paper and to replace consumables. In
As shown in FIG. 2, the first cover 23 is rotated clockwise about the fulcrum 24 to open the conveyance path 25 for the recording paper 7, the jammed paper is removed, and the second cover As shown in FIG. 3, 27 is rotated counterclockwise about the support shaft 26 as a fulcrum, and consumable items such as the cleaning device 6 and the developing device 4 are replaced. In this case, since the first cover 23 and the second cover 27 are opened in opposite directions to each other, the space between them is wide open, and the work can be easily performed. In order to avoid the risk of touching the internal high-voltage section during this inspection work, the power supply to the high-voltage section is turned off when the cover is opened. Lever 28 of interlock switch 28 to turn off
Move a by operating lever 30 to turn the power on / off. That is, when the first and second covers 23 and 27 are closed, as shown in FIG.
With the lever 28a of 28 and the end portion 30a of the actuating lever 30 engaged, the end portion 30b of the actuating lever 30 is fixed to the fixing device 11.
The interlock switch 28 is in the ON state by being pressed by the locking portion 11a provided on the cover. Here, when only the first cover 23 is opened, as shown in FIG. 2, the left and right weight balance around the fulcrum 29 of the actuating lever 30 is heavy on the end 30a side, so that the interlock switch The lever 28a of 28 is not pressed and the interlock switch 28 is maintained in the off state. Then, when the second cover 27 is opened, as shown in FIG.
30 is disengaged from the lever 28a of the interlock switch 28, and the interlock switch 28 is maintained in the off state.

In short, when either the first cover 23 or the second cover 27 is opened, the interlock switch 28 is maintained in the off state, and there is no power supply inside the device. , You can perform inspection work safely. After the inspection, the second cover 27 and the first cover 23
If it is closed in this order, the interlock switch 28
Will be kept on and locked. In order to keep this order, in this embodiment, when the first cover 23 is first closed, the second cover 27 collides with the cover of the fixing device 11 provided on the first cover 23. It is configured so that it cannot be closed. Further, in this embodiment, in order to maintain the interlock switch 28 in the ON state and lock it, the fixing device 11 is provided with the engaging portion 11a, but instead, the shape of the fixing device 11 itself is changed to be equivalent. It is also possible to perform the action of, and other appropriate changes are possible.

[0018]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus of the present invention further includes the first cover that opens the sheet conveying path and the cover that opens in the opposite direction. By providing the second cover capable of forming a large opening, this can be easily performed by opening only the first cover during jam processing, and the second cover can be used during replacement of consumables. This can be done from a large opening formed by further opening the cover. In addition, it is possible to turn on / off the operation of the main body of the device by opening / closing these covers.
Since it can be done with one interlock switch, there is a cost advantage.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the actuating lever is swingable in an unbalanced and unbalanced state about the fulcrum, and the interlock switch is turned off by the swinging movement due to its own weight. It can be constructed at low cost without the need for the above.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the actuating lever is sandwiched by the wall integrated with the cover so as not to be operated by fingers, the working lever is not touched by fingers during inspection work, which is safe.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the interlock switch is integrally provided on the electrical component board, and the operating lever is provided on the second cover near the electrical component section.
Noise becomes hard to ride, and the size of the operating lever itself can be reduced by holding the operating lever in the cover close to the lever of the interlock switch.

According to the invention of claim 5, the second cover holding the operating lever can be opened by opening the first cover, and when the first cover is closed first. Since the second cover on the side holding the actuating lever is prevented from being closed, the inspection operation can be performed safely without the interlock switch malfunctioning.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention and showing a state in which a part of the cover is opened.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention and showing a state in which all the covers are opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Main body case, 2 ... Photoconductor, 3 ... Charger, 4 ...
Developing device, 5 ... Transfer device, 6 ... Cleaning device,
7 ... Recording paper, 8 ... Paper feeding cassette, 9 ... Paper feeding roller, 10 ... Registration roller, 11 ... Fixing device, 11a ...
Locking part, 12 ... Paper ejection roller, 13 ... Stacker part, 14
… Metal case, 15… Electrical parts, 16… is power supply, 17…
Electrical board, 20 ... Optical device, 21 ... Paper support member, 22
... insertion port, 23 ... first cover, 24 ... fulcrum of first cover 23, 25 ... transport path, 26 ... spindle, 27 ... second cover, 28 ... interlock switch, 30 ... actuating lever.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G03G 15/00 526 H04N 1/00 D H04N 1/00 B65H 43/04 // B65H 43/04 B41J 29/12 A

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A first cover that covers a sheet conveyance path and rotates in a predetermined direction to be opened, and a first cover provided near an exit of the conveyance path and an opening rotation direction of the first cover. A second cover that pivots in the opposite direction and opens, and an interlock switch that is provided on the second cover and that turns on / off the power inside the image forming apparatus main body are engaged and turned on / off. An operating lever for turning off and a locking portion for restricting the operating lever to turn on the interlock switch when the first and second covers are closed are provided on the first cover. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that when the cover 1 is opened, the locking portion releases the restriction of the operating lever. 2. The actuating lever is unbalanced due to its own weight around its fulcrum so that the actuating lever does not turn on the interlock switch when the actuating lever is released from the regulation by the locking portion of the first cover. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interlock switch is turned off by the swing displacement of the interlock switch. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuating lever is held by a wall integrally provided with the second cover so as not to be operated by a finger. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interlock switch is integrally provided on the electrical equipment substrate, and the operating lever is provided on the second cover near the electrical equipment portion. 5. The second cover holding the operating lever can be opened by opening the first cover, and when the first cover is closed first, the second cover on the side holding the operating lever is opened. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second cover is not closed.